20 May Review: “The Martian” by Andy Weir

I finally got around to reading “The Martian” by Andy Weir, partly because of all the hype and partly because I loved his follow-up, “Project Hail Mary.” I read it over a sunny weekend in the park, imagining I was on Mars with Mark Watney, trying to survive against all odds. Given how much I enjoyed Weir’s later work, I had high expectations for this one. However, I found myself a bit let down, which might sound like sacrilege given the book’s popularity.

What’s it about?

“The Martian” follows Mark Watney, an astronaut who gets stranded on Mars after a fierce storm forces his crew to evacuate, leaving him behind, thinking he’s dead. Watney is a botanist and engineer, which makes him the ultimate MacGyver of Mars. He has to figure out how to survive with limited supplies until the next mission to Mars can rescue him, which is years away. The story is a mix of Watney’s daily logs, NASA’s efforts back on Earth to bring him home, and his crew’s journey to return for him.

Watney’s survival tactics are nothing short of genius. He manages to grow potatoes using Martian soil, his own waste, and water he creates from hydrazine. He also repairs broken equipment and communicates with NASA using a long-abandoned Mars rover. It’s a classic man-versus-nature story with a heavy dose of humor and scientific detail.

What This Chick Thinks

Alright, let’s dive in. I wanted to love “The Martian” as much as everyone else seemed to, but I found myself struggling with its structure. Don’t get me wrong—Watney’s ingenuity and the science behind his survival are incredibly impressive and well-researched. Andy Weir definitely knows his stuff, and the technical details are fascinating. But, and it’s a big but, the book’s format didn’t quite work for me.

The narrative is heavily reliant on Watney’s logs, which means we get a lot of “tell” instead of “show.” This format can be great for conveying technical information, but it often felt repetitive and slowed down the pacing. There were times when I wanted to see more interactions and less internal monologue. The sections set on Earth and with the crew added some variety, but they were too few and far between to break up the monotony of Watney’s solo survival saga.

Plus, the way Weir tries to keep us readers up to speed by having Watney constantly reference past events felt clunky. It’s like every few pages, Watney’s log would throw in reminders of what he did before, almost as if Weir didn’t trust us to remember. It broke the immersion for me, making it feel more like a guidebook than a gripping survival tale. Every time Watney inserted a “Remember when…” it felt like a nudge from the author, pulling me out of the moment.

That said, the book shines in its portrayal of Watney’s resilience and resourcefulness. His humor is a highlight, though at times it felt a bit forced. The science is solid and fascinating, but the structure kept me from getting as emotionally invested as I wanted to be. In “Project Hail Mary,” Weir balanced humor, science, and narrative much better, making it a more engaging read for me.

Final Thoughts

“The Martian” is a solid, entertaining read with impressive scientific detail and a likable protagonist. However, the structure felt repetitive and lacking in emotional depth, which kept me from fully loving it. I’d give it a 6/10. It’s good, but not quite the gripping page-turner I hoped for.

Try it if you like:

1. “Project Hail Mary” by Andy Weir – If you liked the science and humor in “The Martian” but want a more dynamic structure and deeper emotional connection, this is a fantastic follow-up.
2. “Red Mars” by Kim Stanley Robinson – A hard science fiction epic about the colonization of Mars that dives deep into the technical, political, and social challenges of turning the Red Planet into a new home for humanity.
3. “The Moon is a Harsh Mistress” by Robert A. Heinlein – A classic sci-fi novel that combines a gripping story with deep scientific and political insights, perfect for fans of hard science fiction.

Enjoy your reading!